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Six Manatee County Schools superintendent finalists selected for interviews

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by:
Josh Siegel
Staff Writer

The Manatee County School board approved a list six finalists for the district’s superintendent post in a special workshop today.

The board unanimously agreed on five candidates recommended by the Citizens Advisory Group, which vetted the candidates over the last month, names that were seconded by Wayne Blanton, the Florida School Boards Association Executive Director.

Those names are:Pam Stewart, of Tallahassee, the former interim education commissioner at the Florida Department of Education; Dr. Constance Jones, an administrator-on-assignment at Gulf Middle in Cape Coral and a finalist for Lee County superintendent in 2011; Kathryn LeRoy, director of high school programs in Duval County and former chief academic officer there, who was a semi-finalist for that district’s superintendent post; former Marion County Deputy Superintendent Diana Greene; and Rick Mills, Minneapolis Public Schools Chief Executive Officer.

Board member Dave Miner motioned for Dr. John Carvelli, principal of Pierce Hammock Elementary School in Palm Beach County who also served in administration in that district, to be added to the list of finalists.

That motion passed 3-2.

The six finalists will spend Monday, Feb. 11 touring schools in the district and interviewing with the school board as a group.

Other unnamed groups, which will likely include the Manatee Education Association, the district’s teacher’s union, will also speak to the candidates then.

The Citizens Advisory Group will come up with its own interview questions by Feb. 6. They will get to sit in on the group interviews as well.

On Tuesday, Feb. 12, each candidate will interview one-on-one with all of the board members individually during 55-minute sessions.

All interviews are open to the public and interim Superintendent David Gayler is working to get them recorded.

The next superintendent will replace Tom McGonegal, who resigned Sept. 10 after he revealed a $3.4 million budget deficit.

You can find the latest information about the superintendent search here.